Elkhart mayor: Budget cuts

ELKHART -- The city of Elkhart is in for some deep budget cuts, which include keeping police and firefighters at home -- unpaid.

Next year's controversial spending plan still has to pass the Common Council.Both Mayor Dick Moore and the council say the cuts could've been avoided.

Under Moore's 2013 spending plan released Friday, 300 police and fire employees would take three unpaid days off each year. An additional 300 city workers would have to take five unpaid days off a year.

That equals just under $400,000 in savings but also means about one fewer firefighter and one fewer police officer on the streets each day.

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"We can't continue to provide the basic and essential services and continue to cut the line items, the day-to-day cost of our operation any further, so the next thing we have to look at is people," Moore said.And there's more.

There are cuts to funding for city events like the Jazz Festival. There will be less money going to the Economic Development Corp. and other groups. And the city will close the Oak Hills Golf Course and try to sell it.A budget vote is about a month away.